Super Heroes

Prosperity is back in bloom throughout Southwest Florida; and its reach extends to the entire Sarasota, Manatee and Charlotte Counties region.  For this we can all be enormously thankful. John F. Kennedy often used the adage, “A rising tide lifts all boats,” to suggest that all members of a community benefit when their shared economy expands.  But Kennedy also knew from experience that perfectly seaworthy boats can come under sudden, perilous assault—with disastrous consequences. An Act of Heroism As commander of PT 109 in the Pacific Ocean during World War II, the future president became a reluctant hero in the inky darkness off the Solomon Islands when his naval patrol boat was suddenly broadsided by a Japanese destroyer. On that moonless night in August 1943, Kennedy swam from the wreckage to rescue his most grievously injured crewmen, then floated them to a small island aboard a makeshift raft.  This amazing act of heroism would earn him Navy and Marine Corps medals as well as the Purple Heart. Continuing with boats as metaphor for life, no one expects their boat to suddenly sink, capsize or get tossed-up on the rocks.  But life happens; and when members of the Southwest Florida community suddenly find their lives in turmoil, they can often look to organizations supported by the MSC Foundation for life-affirming support. Providing Shelter, Sustenance, Education and a Path to Self-Sufficiency Now in its fourth year of service to the community, the MSC Foundation has channeled hundreds of thousands of dollars in humanitarian grants to scores of not-for-profit organizations whose activities are consistent with the foundation’s goal of providing shelter, sustenance, education and a path to self-sufficiency for the least fortunate members of the communities served by agents of Michael Saunders & Company.   Grants are distributed twice annually, but not before each non-profit organization is carefully vetted to make sure all funds are spent locally and with a minimum of administrative overhead. Each grant is made possible through the generosity of our participating agents, who donate a portion of their commissions on real estate transactions—often in name of their clients—as well as by our staff and leadership team, who contribute through voluntary payroll deductions.   In exchange, contributors—and only contributors—may petition the foundation for grants to the local not-for-profit organizations of their choosing. Grassroot Charities This week, the MSC Foundation awarded grants to 49 not-for-profit agencies working at the grassroots level throughout our three-county region.  These include:  Community Haven, Safe Place & Rape Crisis Center (SPARCC); Jewish Family & Children’s Service of the Sun Coast, Inc., Family Promise of Sarasota, Forty Carrots Family Center of Sarasota, Inc., Community Coalition on Homelessness, Southeast Guide Dogs Paws for Patriots Program, American Red Cross, Laurel Civic Association, Temple Emanu-El Early Learning Center, Community Foundation of Sarasota County, The Children’s Healthy Pantry, Family Partnership Center, Education Foundation of Sarasota County, The New Paradigm Foundation, Family Promise of South Sarasota County, Charlotte County Homeless Coalition, Boys & Girls Club of Manatee County,  The Food Bank of Manatee, Englewood Area Cancer Foundation,  ALSO Youth, Inc.,  North Port Coalition for the Homeless, Selah Freedom, Miracle League Manasota, Community Youth Development of Sarasota County, Just for Girls, Rotary LBK Charitable Fund, St. Vincent DePaul Society, Englewood Community Care Clinic, Manatee County Habitat for Humanity and several others. When asked much later on to explain how he had become a decorated war hero, John Kennedy replied with his usual dollop of dry wit, "It was involuntary. They sank my boat." Thanks to their participation in the MSC Foundation, our agents, staff and leadership team prove on a daily basis that you don’t have to have your boat sunk to become a super hero in someone’s life.   You simply have to have your heart and values in the right place.